Most commonly, emails and notices start well before the show actually begins. Websites allow interested visitors to see what brands exhibitors demoing products will showcase. These same exhibitor lists allow consumers to expeditiously map out their favorite rooms and the systems they want to hear above all others.
Some enthusiasts, like myself, attend audiophile shows for the enduring pleasure of seeing all kinds of exciting gear and reconnecting with industry friends. Others are interested in specific equipment and hope to confirm or reject a future potential purchase. Many in the press attend to provide their publications with a written and visual summary for their readers who do not attend. In the end, we all have our own reasons for flying, driving, staying at a hotel, spending the money, putting up with the crowds, and all facets of what we audiophiles call an audio show.
Our goal in this article is to look at audiophile shows and illustrate their positives, negatives and what may be learned by attendance. With the dealer network so spread out, rather than in every city and town as they were perhaps 40 or 50 years ago, we need a way to see, hear and become familiar with new gear. We need to be able to make informed purchase decisions. Audio shows have become the primary mode to see and hear more gear in one place, and in one weekend, than any other method can ever hope to provide. As such, we thought it might be a good idea to dig a little deeper into the interesting world of audio shows.
Shows Showcase More Audiophile Gear Than Anyone Could Ever Expect to See in One Place
Whether a room is geared towards a specialty audio dealer or manufacturer, practically any show will have something to suit the tastes of almost every audiophile. If the primary interest is dynamic floorstanding speakers, they will be in abundance. Same goes for solid state audiophile preamps, DACs, transports and streamers, analog, all-in-one systems, systems with all separate audiophile amplifiers and well-matched stereo preamps, as well as any possible system configuration or component list one might imagine. Perhaps what is best about an audio show is having so much gear, and such a wide variety of gear, at any and all price points. Those harboring the notion of a future purchase have the opportunity to become very well-informed. A potential buyer can hear for themselves if the new piece of kit is to their liking or not. Those who may be undecided about a new purchase may use a show to bolster the decision-making process. If a tube amp, for instance, is being considered but not yet confirmed, having dozens of tube amps at a show should almost certainly help confirm if the sound is pleasing or not.
Getting A Taste of Audiophile WOW Factor
Pick any collectable from any number of enthusiast hobbies, and there will be a want-but-cannot-have variety of available products. Most often, these products are in no conceivable future way even remotely affordable. I enjoy the performance and exhilaration that a really fast sports car can provide. I have more fun than is probably legal (and most of my fun is not) in my Maserati. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t love, and I mean really love, to own a Koenigsegg CC8/50. I suppose the only thing separating me from doing so is the several million dollars in purchase price. I get the same feeling when I walk into a room at an audio show housing a million-dollar-plus audio system. Almost all shows these days have one or two rooms showcasing what most of us would have if we only had the funds to do so. Even those perfectly content with an entry-level budget system enjoy seeing what is possible. There is nothing wrong with allying oneself with the WOW Factor – even if only temporarily.
Regional Audiophile Shows Allow Consumers A Chance to Talk and Interact with Manufacturers
At any given audio show, if a potential buyer has questions about a component, in many cases, a representative of the manufacturer (or possibly a dealer), or sometimes even the design engineers themselves, will be on hand to offer detailed explanations of their gear. It cannot be overstated how valuable this can be when wondering if this particular new whatever is the right one. I have had my entire opinion on a component changed, sometimes for the good, sometimes for the not so good, because I took the time to speak with the manufacturer on why something was designed and built the way it was. It is a valuable commodity to gain a more in-depth understanding on something from the people who built it to begin with. When attending a show, remember the company is there to encourage you to buy their gear and help you understand features and benefits. For this reason alone, manufacturers will be more than happy to answer consumer questions.
Audiophile Shows Offer More Than Just Sexy Music Playback Equipment
Great music is obviously an integral part of an audio show. Manufacturers and dealers spend considerable time and attention in making their room sound as excellent as possible. More often than not, they will hand-pick music in a variety of genres because of a superior sonic capability, not simply because they like a particular artist. It is easily possible to hear new music warranting further investigation at a later date. I’ve discovered several new artists at shows I now include in my favorites rotation. Most room hosts will also allow a visitor to play their own music to see how it sounds on a different rig. And for anyone interested in actually buying music, every audio show has a section of the hotel where vendors set up booths, stands or tables designed to sell LPs, CDs, reel-to-reel tapes, and all manner of accessories. Music is absolutely not slighted at an audio show.
Shows May Make You a Better Audiophile
No matter our level of knowledge of the hobby, all audiophiles can learn a thing or two. Audio shows can very often assist in making any of us better listeners. In describing how a system performs, most room hosts will describe what the particular component does well and why. Maybe they describe the technical merits of the component or system. Maybe they illustrate what they went through to get the room right. This may aid a visitor in correcting issues in their own listening rooms and provide a platform for increased knowledge.
Talking With Fellow Audiophiles Can Be Downright Educational
At shows, I take particular interest in asking other attendees what has impressed them so far. This is easily done on the elevator where silence is usually the norm. I might ask what rooms have been the most impressive and it is not uncommon for the answers to start flying. I also like to ask why any one particular room was so highly enjoyed. Often, the answers are quite interesting. We all hear things differently and just as some of us like Brussels sprouts and others do not, we all may potentially have different preferences when it comes to audio systems. I get a real charge out of better understanding someone else’s opinion of an audio system, whether good or bad. I’ve had several occasions, based on the comments of a stranger, no less, where I actually went back to a room I earlier found unimpressive. After considering the comments shared with me, I found I may have missed musical cues or was mistaken in my assessment. Any of us, even reviewers, can learn a thing or two if we really listen. And of course, the more and differing varieties of audio systems any one person hears, the better listener and more experienced audiophile they will become. Sometimes, someone else is the smartest person in the room!
Oftentimes, Audiophile Shows Can Verify Your Own Purchase Decisions
Let’s face it, we are all curious about other audiophile systems – their sonic merits, their cost and, most assuredly, if they sound better than what we have at home. “How does it sound?” is a frequent question asked at any audio show. Making such comparisons is both a slippery slope and an almost given practice. I have stood in quite a few rooms at audio shows and thought, “Well, mine sounds better than this.” I try to not make this habit a part of my audio show experience, but it is quite difficult to accomplish. We all want to justify our own system choices, so when we find one we feel sounds inferior to our own, we can breathe a little easier. However, what happens when we find one we feel actually sounds better than our own, even if the realization is painful to admit, and worse still, costs half as much? Like I mentioned, making this type of comparison at an audio show can be a slippery slope. I try to judge a system on its own merits and not make comparisons to any other system, mine included. But I will admit that it is very difficult to do so.
What Are Some of the Downsides of an Audiophile Show?
- At the risk of being way too obvious, I’ll first mention cost. Yes, shows can be expensive, especially if air travel is involved. There are also hotels, rental cars or ride share options, meals and other expenses that can sneak up on you. On the other hand, as an old buddy of mine used to say, “You can’t put a price on pleasure.” I am still not sure if he was talking about audio shows specifically …
- Some audiophile shows can be very crowded and congested. At any show, there will be what I call the “hot rooms.” These are the ones everyone is talking about and they are always standing room only. Quite often, it may be almost impossible to even get into the room, because they are so crowded. I find myself skipping over them, despite my interest in hearing what all the buzz is about.
- Because the demo rooms are first a hotel room, getting the sonics perfect can be difficult.Those room air conditioners, the ones sitting on the floor (I call them jet engines), can be quite loud. Room hosts try their level best to make the sonics as excellent as possible, but there is only so much that they can do. It helps to remember the show will end on Sunday, and on Monday, the room goes back to being a hotel.
- Inevitably, there are selfish people who choose to talk while others are trying to assess the quality of a demo system. I’ve heard attendees sit and talk and laugh about whatever comes to mind, regardless of who is in the room. I’ve heard attendees at audiophile shows try to ask questions of the room’s host while music was playing. I’ve heard many such types of interruptions and intrusions. For that matter, I’m probably guilty of creating some myself at times. For the courtesy of others, remain quiet while music is playing, and if you want to speak with someone, step out into the hall where no one will be bothered.
- Elevators can be slow and very crowded at hotel-based audiophile shows. I always try to minimize their use. I learned years ago it was far better to take the elevator to the top floor in the morning and work my way down by the stairs. Might as well put gravity to use – meaning it is easier to go down stairs than up …
- Sometimes the music being played in these wonderful audiophile systems is positively dreadful. Diana Krall was once played so much it became somewhat of a joke between room hosts and audiophile manufacturers. I’ve heard any and all types of music at shows. I try to not pay much attention to whether or not I like the song. Rather, I try to decide how much I like the sonics. I will add that rooms that choose to play some good ol’ rock and roll, or some kickin’ R&B are often very popular. This is compared to rooms playing choral chant music, which leaves the attendees looking at each other in total confusion.
Final Thoughts on Regional Audiophile Shows …
Currently, Axpona, held in Chicago each April, is the largest U.S.-based audiophile show. It has grown so large, in fact, it is probably not possible to see each and every room in one weekend. It is almost required to utilize the website, choose the rooms of predominate interest, and see them first. If there is time left over, then pop in a room you find interesting. There are also regional shows in Maryland, Florida, Texas, New York, North Carolina, California and Washington State. They are held in such a way that one show does not really overlap another one which maximizes potential attendance.
There are other shows held around the world but they require a significant commitment, cost being the foremost. High End Munich, probably the largest audio show in the world at this, is moving to Vienna, Austria in 2026. Vienna is a wonderful place, but Business Class in United’s Polaris Class (the one with the nice lie-flat seats) can reach prices as high as $9,000 or more per round trip ticket – especially from the West Coast. This begs the question of, how much do you really like audio?
Audio shows allow dedicated audiophiles to live and breathe audio for up to three days. Very often, extremely interesting audio conversations will be held between complete strangers who met at an audio show. And for those who stick around until Sunday, many rooms would far prefer to save some freight costs and sell the demo equipment at substantial discounts rather than ship it back. Anyone who attended a show for a potential purchase confirmation might be able to pick up their actual piece of kit at a nice discount. But doing so requires staying until Sunday, when the show ends.
I really enjoy going to audiophile shows when I can make the logistics and timing work. I have made acquaintances I really only see at audiophile shows. I find it extremely interesting to see new gear, sometimes being introduced for the first time ever at the show. I have a really good time sharing a meal with other audiophiles, when audio is about the only subject discussed. In short, I have a lot of fun immersing myself in all things audio for a three-day weekend. Regardless, shows can be educational and a whole lot of fun. They allow the consumer to learn more about an audio component than any magazine article or review will ever provide. I like to call them audio catnip. To anyone who has never attended a show, I would encourage you to consider doing so. If, like me, you find them to be fun, educational and entertaining, you will probably become a show regular. It is also encouraged to take your kids so they may be introduced to the hobby. And never forget the very wise choice of taking the better half, even if they are not into enthusiast audio. There’s always local shopping, fancy meals and the hotel spa!
I will be wandering around Axpona in April, so if you see me, do say hello!
